The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-04-18
ONLY A FEW HOURS MORE
And It Will Be Known Whether or Not
There Is Natural Gas at Brlghtwood.
The Drillers Reach Trenton Rock and Find
Favorable Indications-State Geologist
Thompson's Views About the Gas Field.

Favorable lndicati0nS-State GeOl0glSt
Thompson's Views About the Gas Field
OF the several borings for gas in the vicinity of
Indianapolis. interest centers just now around
the Brightwood we'll. During the week it may
be transferred to that of Bridgeport, where the
drill is expected to reach the sbearing rock by
Thursday. At Broad Ripple the strata the
work is going through somewhat retards prog
ress, but within few days it is expected it will
be more satisfactory. The minor strike at Pen
dleton has given the Brightwood drilers some
encouragement as their boring is directly in
line with that Of Pendleton. Noblesville ex-
perience also strengthens hope some as to the ul-
innate result. The Brighswocd well, before it
reaches Trenton rock, and it is supposed to be
very near just now, will have to 60 forty feet
further than the Noblesvillc bore. which went
seventy three feet below tho sea level.
Gas has been found from eighty six feet below
to ninety-nine feet above the sealevei. The con-
ditions attending its discovery do not depend
upon any general feature of the Trenton lime
stone, and il it's features were continuous says
Maurice Thompson, the State Geologist, one
might to expect to find gas or oil wherever the
rOck was reached MI thompson lurtncE stdteS
that the bores far made show that the Lower
Silurian strata are undulated in irregular
way, while some of the undulations of the Tren-
ton limestone are abrupt and remark
able. He concludes that lit is plain
to my mind that gas stored in highly porous
limestone could be held within only by an i'm
pervious covering Therefore, if at any point
the everything strata have been cracked, dis
placed or in any way rent and the vent is still
open. the gas will not be found. No doubt the
immense clay deposits of the drift have been of
great service in closing up most of the assures
from which gas would have leaked; but IL APP
pears to my mind that subsistence of the crust
of the earth subsequent to considerable up
heaval has been the chief force in sealing the
gas within its present reservoir, and of giving it
the compression which is the exponent of its
present expansive power of pressure"
1t is his opinion that the great variance in
level between successful wells quite close to one
another and the occurrence of dry wells at or
near the same horizon of productive ones would
appear to show conclusivey that the reservoirs
are many and separate, or, if connected. that the
connection is very imperfect. Indeed" he says,
ut would be something unpreceden ted in geology
Nit should be found that the Trenton limestone
were evenly and continuously porous aud uni
tormly oil or gas bearing over a large area. 1t
Is to local and particular features that we must
look in each case for success failure in boring
and, unfortunately, in Indiana these features
are mostly hidden, or so obscure as to render
study very slow and difficult"
Further quoting from Mr.. Thompson, it is
shown that ''the lowest shales found above the
oil and gas rock of this State are bituminous so
far as have bean able to examine them. and
give evidence of having been subjected to
pressure which has deprived them of whatever
liquid carbonaceous substances they once con-
tanned. Practical ell-borers state to me that
they expect to reach blue lick water as q rule,
Akt ~ A. =
tinued Putting together the Two facts that the
everything strata usually dark bituminous
shales, from which oil may have been expressed
during the course of past ages. and that blue
a strong upward pressure, is in the
underlying rock. we have strong hint
of how the oil ard gas were originated,
and why they have kept their places
IN tho porous Trenton limestone What NAV be
called artesian pressure from below and the i'm
pervious nature of the highly compressed shales
above have kept the oil and gas confined in the
reservoir Hydrostatic pressure from above,
too, may, in some cases, serve to confne the
lighter substances, hence the intermittent aow
of certain wells whose water is accompanied by
gas palpitations For instance, the well on the
old Blair farm near Francisville. has been flow
r. ing water at intervals for many years. and the
b gas always comes with the water. Doubtless
the column of water confines the gas until the
latter accumulates with sufficient force to blow
the liquid out, and SO in time exhaust itself,
1
and in due time there is another flow, and so
on"
" The condition at Brightwood. whether it will
fulfill any all of these requirements, will de-
pend upon the developments of few hours
Enough is known, however, that the drilling of
the operators there has reached point where
success is probable. When the bore began, it
went through deeper drift than was expected,
but reaching the erayish blue shale that was at
first piabe and then hardened on exposure, the
drill went further and further through harder
and harder strata of shalo until it reached what
is supposed to be the impervious covering
referred to by Mr.. Thompson. 1t is
of very dark brown and breaks like flint. This
was touched Saturday night at depth which is
not uniformly given by those interested in local
gas discovery. One gentleman. not of the
Brghtwood company, but who has studied close
ly the gas developments of the State. said: 1.-THE
drill is down 900 feet, and whether there is to be
gas at Brightwood or not only waits upon the
boring through this shae. Gas may be obtained,
but have my doubts Yet who can tell? The
whol0 hing must be considered an uncertainty,
with dual chances for and against success until
the gas is actually reached In an instant the
drill may strike it under the conditions now ex-
listing at Brightwood."
A gentleman OF the company in recounting
what had been done, said ne did not know the
accurate depth reached, but that would be ascer-
tanned before morning He believed that the
drill had stopped at 800 feet. and by Tuesday
the we'll would be proven a success failure
IF it is the latter" he continued, I'VE will bore
another, and yet another, until gas is found or
we are assured of the utter hope!essness of fur
ther experiment" Saturday night and yesterday
the feeling in Brightwood was feverish, ready to
break out in the highest excitement at the first
indication of a successful tapping of the sup
posed gas reservoir. Directors of the company
were there observing the progress of the work,
which they regard very near Its completion
In a tabulated statement given by Mr. Thomp-
son it is seen that the wells above the sea-level
are those at Connersville and Richmond, both of
which are dry. the one at Winchester, the three
at Muncie, the Rushville and Ridgeville dry
wells, the flowing ones at Eaton. Greensburg
Marion, Hartford City and Anderson. The feet
above run from 3, at Ridgevlle. to 140 a,
Rust vile; the Connersyille and Richmond wells
127 and Ga feet, respectively; that at Win
chester "a; the three at Muncie, ~, 49, and Ga
in ORDER at Eaton, 5; Rushville. lao
Greensburg, g. Marion, 80; Hartford
City. co. and Anderson, 81. The
levels below the those at Union City
dry. u feet; Button. dry, 215; Decatur. dry
400; Fort Wayne, dry, 643 Kokomo. Nos. l ani
z % and Sc respectively; Alexandria, A. Fran
cesville TOLL, 2l0; Noblesville. 49, Jonesboro 70
Portland Nos !. 2 and 3. 6l &C and Ga; Port
land. No. 4. dry, 20; Portland, Nos. aud G. g
and GA, and Portland. No. Z, oil, SO feet Mr.
Thompson does not vouch for the accuracy o.
these figures He states that no ga.
has been found in paying ousntit,
south of the Ohio river but is conf
dent that it will yet be discovered
in that area Francisyille is the ynost rvastari,